To be honest, Mobius didn't find instant noodles to be particularly commendable in terms of flavor. They were full of the rough, abrasive taste of industrial production lines and the coarseness of being fried in low-quality oil. The only advantage was convenience, but whether convenience was an advantage or a disadvantage for food couldn't be definitively stated.
After tasting countless instant noodles, whether boiled or soaked, there was little difference to Mobius—just the right amount and the consistent taste of the seasoning packets. She couldn't call it a good texture; it was merely edible.
But seeing this man, whose cooking skills were transcendent, enjoy the noodles she boiled, her appetite increased slightly.
Speaking of which, she didn't know if it was because the private office had poor ventilation for too long, or if the scent of the noodles brought out certain other smells, but an... indescribable odor began to waft into Mobius's nostrils. This was also noticed by Lin, who had moved his helmet above his nose, thereby losing the helmet's air filtration system.
"..."
"..."
The stifling atmosphere caused the two silently eating noodles to tacitly avoid mentioning the source of the smell.
Mobius tried to recall what was emitting the odor.
Could it be... her clothing?
Mobius was very clean—limited only to what she was currently wearing.
Lin had once helped her clean up the clutter in her private office, and Mobius had kept the entire office tidy for a long time. However, under the pressure of work, even with the intention to tidy up, she would be forced to put things down casually and move on to the next task.
Over time, she herself didn't know when the office returned to its original state.
Klein occasionally wanted to help her clean, but Klein had more than enough of her own work and certainly no spare time for cleaning.
When busy, Mobius changed clothes faster than adding reagents to a beaker. It was common for stockings and underwear to be shoved into a random crevice and impossible to find later.
Normally, her room was filled with the pungent odors of various reagents, and those irritating smells were more effective at masking things than any perfume. However, recently, she had made sure to stop her work half an hour before mealtime to ensure those smells didn't affect her sense of smell and taste while eating.
It must just be her imagination. Some similar smells hadn't dissipated yet.
In the increasingly strange atmosphere, they finished their simple meal. Lin almost instinctively moved to clean up the beakers and chopsticks but was stopped by Mobius.
"...I'll do it myself." Her barely noticeable tension made her slightly clench her fingers.
"...Then I'll tidy up the room..."
"No need."
Mobius and Lin exchanged a subtle glance through their respective helmets.
"This is nothing to be ashamed of." Lin said slowly. "I know you're busy. Not washing clothes is very normal..."
"I haven't." Mobius's stocking-clad legs gradually moved closer together.
"..."
"..."
In the deepening, heavy silence, Mobius turned her gaze away: "This room only looks messy. In fact, I know where everything is placed. It was done this way intentionally. Don't touch anything. And there are no unwashed clothes here."
"Then what was that smell?"
"..."
Seeing Mobius remain silent, Lin gaze gradually shifted from the messy surroundings to her, finally locking onto the... stockings beneath her white coat.
Mobius said coldly, her face hardening: "You don't seriously think the smell is coming from me, do you?"
Lin didn't speak, but the fact that his gaze never left her implied he was noncommittal.
"Impossible."
"You should know better than I do the health risks of wearing clothes for a long time without changing."
"I told you, it's impossible."
"I don't believe you."
"You..." Under Lin straightforward "I don't believe you," all of Mobius's words became powerless. She bit her silver teeth, grinding them. "What will it take for you to believe me?"
Lin spread his hands, tossing the question back: "How can you prove it?"
A thought flashed through Mobius's mind. She immediately and without hesitation retorted, "Why don't you smell it yourself?"
Lin remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "There's no need for that."
"What do you mean? I told you to smell it, so smell it! Do you remember what you said to me?" Mobius slammed her hands onto the table, agitated. Lin seemingly disgusted expression was practically an open mockery of her.
Did he really think she would wear unwashed clothes for a long time?
Lin remained silent for a long moment, staring at Mobius's stubborn expression, before finally nodding.
...
"I'm finally finishing my work. By the way, Fuxi, what are your plans for the upcoming holiday?"
"I think I'll travel."
"I want to make models..."
Klein signed the report, listening numbly as the two sisters discussed how to spend their vacation. She simply counted the work she still hadn't processed and concluded that vacations were far away for her.
Many people thought Klein's workload was too high. She wasn't just working early and late; she was in the lab most of the time, often falling asleep while working at night. They thought Mobius's exploitation of her assistant was excessive.
In reality, Klein took on most of this work herself. Mobius's own workload was no less than hers. When Klein came to Mobius's lab, she found that Mobius practically stayed in her office all day, rarely going out, with no time for rest. Even though Mobius had her own ways of alleviating fatigue, the amount of work was terrifyingly voluminous and endless.
As for why she didn't hand it over to Nuwa and Fuxi... it wasn't entirely because she thought they were holding her back. They could handle some basic but large-quantity tasks. But seeing them happy and carefree all the time, Klein didn't want to put too much pressure on them.
However, the workload hadn't been too heavy lately, possibly because the Sixth Herrscher had eliminated most of the Honkai Beasts in the city before her death, leaving fewer subjects in Mobius's research field.
Picking up the report, Klein headed toward Mobius's office, thinking she might try the cafeteria's new lobster-flavored milk tea today.
Arriving at the door, she saw a gap. Thinking Lin had forgotten to close it after delivering the sashimi, she was about to knock when she heard Mobius gasp.
"You... get closer, or you won't smell..."
Klein froze instantly. A second later, she burst into silent laughter.
It must be just one of those misunderstandings you read about in comics. Only overly sensitive people would think otherwise.
Distracted, she forgot to knock and simply pushed open the slightly ajar door.
"Doctor, the report..."
Her composed expression froze on her face.
In the dim light, a strange smell lingered in the air. The green-haired woman's white coat had slipped off her rounded shoulders. She was sitting on the office desk, her beautiful legs, tightly toned and wrapped in seductive, sheer black stockings, raised. She stared nervously at the solemn-faced Helmet Man.
And that Helmet Man was, at that moment, holding that long, artistic-looking leg with both hands, seriously bringing his nose—uncovered by the helmet—close to the woman's thigh area.
As Klein pushed the door open, two pairs of eyes fixed on her.
"..."
"..."
Lin turned back and moved closer again.
"Wait a second!" Klein grabbed Lin shoulder.